


Be There

by SaraJaye



Category: Fire Emblem: Soen no Kiseki/Akatsuki no Megami | Fire Emblem Path of Radiance/Radiant Dawn
Genre: Broken Bones, Developing Relationship, F/F, Hugs, Hurt/Comfort, Pre-Femslash, worried Mist
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-17
Updated: 2019-06-17
Packaged: 2020-05-13 19:58:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,027
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19258138
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SaraJaye/pseuds/SaraJaye
Summary: When Mist breaks her arm, it's more than not being able to heal that troubles her.





	Be There

She didn't blame Ike for being upset, she knew she'd been reckless. There was no point in calling him a hypocrite, either, because he'd been extra careful lately and she knew it. She'd stepped too far away from the "safe zone," taken an axe to the left side, and somehow _only_ come away with a broken wrist.

In hindsight, it was pretty stupid of her, but Ilyana's leg was all cut up from dealing with a dozen wind mages, she was _bleeding_ and she'd given her last vulnerary to Zihark and Mist couldn't just let her _stay_ like that. Besides, pirates usually went right for the villages or couldn't land a blow if their life depended on it, slow and clumsy things they were.

 _But if there's another battle, I'll have to stay here and worry about everyone while they fight._ She hadn't just cost the team a healer for a while, she'd broken her own promise to herself to just _be_ there even if she couldn't do any fighting. _They'll be out there and something terrible could happen, and I won't be there._

The one silver lining to all the clouds was Jill. She'd swooped in the moment Mist cried out and flown her to safety, held her hand while Rhys patched her up, staying beside her all afternoon. It was well past dinnertime now, and Mist imagined Jill had to be starving.

"You don't _have_ to stay here all night, you know. Even if you're still not comfortable eating with the others, I bet you'll wanna train at some point, and your wyvern's gonna need taking care of," Mist said. Jill shook her head, brushing her fingers along the bandage Mist wore.

"Ciel understands. I told him you need me, and Mordecai said he'd feed and play with him. He's really good with animals," she said. There was a hint of fondness in her voice, Mist noted, a far cry from the girl Ike had scolded for using slurs the first time she came aboard the ship.

"Thanks." Mist smiled a little. "I really appreciate it, and everything else you did when I got hurt."

"Hey, you're the one who brought me food and sat with me while I was moping around," Jill said. "You've been a star to me ever since I joined, you're always there with your staff when Ciel or I get hurt, you don't care how I acted when I first came aboard the ship."

"Well, you're making the effort to be better, right? So why harp on the past?" Mist smiled, reaching awkwardly for her hand. "Um..."

"Oh, sorry." Jill sat down at the foot of the bed so she could take Mist's un-bandaged hand. "At least you can still use your dominant hand." Mist sighed, nodding a little.

"I know, but I also know Ike and Titania and Rhys won't let me out of bed until I'm all better. Rhys says I'd be off-balance and make myself sick if I tried to heal while I'm not at my best." She remembered how tired she was the first time Rhys taught her to use a staff, how the moment she'd put it down she'd gone right to sleep on his lap. And how Rhys tended to be shaky and weak if he worked harder than usual, since he got sick easily as it was.

"Well, I agree with them. I don't want anything else to happen to you out there, Mist," Jill said, squeezing her hand.

"I _know,_ but..." Mist closed her eyes and sighed again. "The whole reason I made Rhys teach me to use a staff was so I could be there and help out. I had to beg Ike to let me go along on battles, and what if he decides I don't belong out there after all? What if he makes me stay back at the base forever?"

"Then tell him he's being a jerk. He didn't send Mia back to the base when she scraped her knee on the ship, or make Rolf stay behind when he got scratched by those birds," Jill said. "Just because you're his little sister doesn't mean he can treat you like a baby." Mist shook her head.

"It's not that. I get why Ike worries about me, it's the same reason I worry about him," she said quietly. "I just want to _be there._ Even if I can never do anything more than heal, I'm... _scared,_ that if I'm not there and something happens..."

She swallowed, squeezing her eyes against the tears.

"I don't want it to be like with my dad all over again." Jill's hand tightened on hers.

"Oh, Mist..."

"I never got to say goodbye. If I lost Ike, or Titania, or Rhys..." She bit her lip, turning her gaze towards Jill. "Or _you_. I know we just became friends, but you're so important to me, I don't-"

"Hey." Jill's other hand brushed against her cheek. "I'm not going anywhere. Not until your arm's back to normal," she said. "Even if there's another battle, someone else can go in my place. I'll bring you food, sit with you while Rhys works on your arm, we'll share stories, and once you're all better you'll ride back into battle with me, okay?" Mist managed a little smile.

"It would be kind of neat to do my healing from the back of a wyvern."

"And we'll skewer and gobble up any pirates who try to break your bones again!" Jill laid down beside her and hugged her gently, Mist appreciating the care she took not to jar her injured arm. "And don't worry about Ike and the others. We'll work extra hard to stay safe while you're not there." Mist smiled, feeling the weight lift from her heart.

"You're the best, Jill," she murmured. They'd be okay without her, she decided, all she had to do was stay positive. Ike wasn't about to let anyone else get hurt or die on his watch, and Jill was one of the strongest people she'd ever met.

Still, she hoped they'd be able to stay clear of battles for a while anyway.


End file.
